He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Daniel 3:25
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, were three young God-fearing men who served Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of Gold and commanded all people to bow before that image. If anyone denied to bow before the image will be punished by throwing them into a blazing furnace. But these three God-fearing young men courageously denied and were thrown to the burning furnace. There God himself came to their rescue. The people around them saw this fourth person. When Nebuchadnezzar called these three men, he saw that they were unharmed.
In English grammar we learn about first person, second person and third person. But for a Believer there is a fourth person. In Grmmar the first person is the person speaking(I/we perspective) , second person is the person hearing(you perspective). And the third person is the person who is the subject for the other two (he/she/it/they perspective).
Whenever a problem arises, these three people are surely included. First person is the person facing the peoblem. Second person is the reason of the problem or the problem itself. And the third person are the people who are looking at the person in distress. For a believer, there is this fourth person who is none other than God himself.
Shadrach, Meshech, Abednego were the first person facing this problem. Nebuchadnezzar is the man who put them in such catastrophic situation. The people around them, satraps, prefects, governors, advisors, treasures, etc. were the third person. When these young men were thrown into this furnace. Fourth person was visible to the people outside.
When we face a problem we may not see God. But when we come out the people around us will proclaim that they saw the mighty hand of the fourth person , God. And surely we will see that we were unharmed and unbound. This fourth factor turns second and third person’s perspective. When we look back in our life, we see how many times God pulled us through such situations.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:16,18
Without any assurance of coming out of that firey furance, Shadrach, Meshech, Abednego decided to go through it. Their courage and their beliefs were proved right, when the fourth person stepped into the furnace. When this fourth one enters, perspectives are bound to change. After seeing fourth man Nebuchadnezzar call these three men ‘Servants of the most high God’. His view changed, his expression changed, his command changed.
How many times do we wonder , how we came through such difficult times? It was all because of that fourth factor which was invisible to you at that time. But remember many third person from your life must have observed the presence of the fourth person.
You are in the fourth man’s Quiver which is QUIVER OF GOD.
May God bless you all..